Graduate Student Leadership Conference

Graduate Student Leadership Conference

Sunday, Nov 9, 2025 |  8 AM - 4 PM

Applications are closed

The Graduate Student Leadership Conference is a dynamic one-day event is designed to enhance your leadership potential and expand your professional connections in agronomy, crop, soil, and environmental science.

• Workshop: Start the day off with an interactive half-day workshop. Participants will hone their communication and presentation skills and learn how to effectively convey the “so what” of their scientific research, whether their future is in academia, non-profits, or industry. This is your place to learn the ins and outs of giving compelling scientific presentations for a variety of audiences.

• Lunch:  Dine and network with Society Fellows and standout early career professionals in agronomy, crop, and soil science.

• Networking: Network with peers and professionals in a guided session to find your future friends, colleagues, and research partners. Make deeper connections in the unstructured networking time that follows.

• Keynote: Listen to a keynote panel of recently graduated Early Career members from each Society. This is your chance to ask those burning questions – How do I get a job after graduating? How exactly do you write a grant? – from those who just went through it (and succeeded!)

What’s in it for me?

Gain soft skills in communicating your science, network with standout early career scientists and fellow attendees, and gain insights into what being a practicing scientist in academia or industry is really like. 

Attendees will: 

• Develop their soft skills in effective science communication through a hands-on half-day workshop with science communication experts;
• Network with standout early career scientists, Fellows of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, and outstanding graduate students in agronomy, crop, and soil science;
• Earn a digital badge and certificate to share on LinkedIn; and
• Gain access to our exclusive GSLC Alumni Circle on the Societies Member Hub.

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your leadership skills and build lasting professional relationships. 

FAQs

What does it cost? 

Space is limited to 100 graduate student applicants. The GSLC will cost $100 for selected attendees including refreshments, lunch, a digital credential, and exclusive access to your new network of friends and future colleagues on the Member Hub.

When do applications close?

Applications closed on July 15. Notification to selected participants by August 31. 

How are participants chosen? 

A subcommittee of the Graduate Student Committee chooses participants for the conference. In the event of a tie, students who are nearer to graduation will be selected to participate. If you aren’t selected this year, please apply next year!